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The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will be the new executive director of the JIA.

The board of the Jekyll Island Authority approved passing the title to Mark Williams at its meeting Tuesday.

Williams, who was not present at the meeting, serves on the JIA board.

The board took the vote after spending about 45 minutes in executive session following its monthly meeting.

We are looking forward to having Commissioner Williams join us as JIA executive director, said Dale Atkins, JIA board chairman, in a press release sent Tuesday. I know I speak for the full board in saying how confident we feel in the experience Mark brings from his tenure with DNR and his years of service on the JIA board, and we believe he will continue to steward the island in this new role.

Williams will begin in the new role July 1, replacing current executive director Jones Hooks. Hooks, who has served in the position since 2008, announced his retirement in February.

Base compensation will be set at $250,000 with a performance incentive of up to $25,000, said board member Buster Evans, chair of the human resources committee.

Williams will also receive a vehicle allowance of up to $10,000 annually.

The board voted to approve a three-year employment agreement.

Williams has served as commissioner of Georgia DNR since 2010 with duties that include serving on the JIA board. He also served in the state House of Representatives for District 178 from 2005 to 2010.

The board, in an interview process done in coordination with the JIA Human Resources Department, received 17 applications for the executive director position. The selection committee chose four of the applicants to receive an interview.

Marty, the girls and I congratulate Commissioner Mark Williams on this great opportunity and want to thank him for his many years of dedicated service to the people of our state, said Gov. Brian Kemp in a statement sent Tuesday. Under his leadership, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has made great strides in conserving the beautiful assets of our state and our shared natural heritage.

With a record of service stretching back to his time in the Georgia House of Representatives and through his contributions on many boards and authorities, he has impacted our state in a significant and lasting way. We are thankful for all Mark has done and wish him and Pam well as they continue to promote our natural wonders through his new role.

Hooks, who has played a fundamental role in the revitalization of Jekyll Island in the past 15 years, received several compliments during the authority meeting.

State Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, recounted the passage of House Resolution 690, for which he was the chief sponsor during the most recent legislative session. The resolution recognized Hooks for his service and for successful conservation efforts of Jekyll Island State Park.

You owe it to your team, Jones, I know you do, Townsend said. Youve got to thank them first. But it takes a vision, and you had that vision to make it happen The Golden Isles and Glynn County are in a better position because of you. And of course the state. Jekyll Island is for the state of Georgia, not just Glynn County.

Ben Carswell, former director of conservation on Jekyll and the first to hold the position, which was created under Hooks tenure, also commended Hooks for his pivotal role in the islands conservation.

As Jekyll Island turns the page and looks to Jones successor to take on new challenges while maintaining the value of past accomplishments, I encourage the board to likewise elevate Jones environmental legacy and the authoritys stewardship mission, Carswell said.

In other business, the board approved a funding request for up to $285,790 for the Mercer medical clinic that is set to open on the island in partnership with Mercer University.

The clinic will offer primary and emergency care services seven days a week during peak travel months, and services will be offered no less than five days a week from September to April. JIA has been responsible for funding renovations of the facility to house the clinic, and Mercer will cover its operations.

If you were to go to the Mercer clinic today, you would be very impressed at the amount of construction that has been done in building out that facility, Hooks said. We are on schedule to turn over the keys to Mercer by next month.

A funding challenge that arose in recent months is the delayed approval of a grant request from the Department of Community Affairs that would help Jekyll cover costs of furniture, fixtures and equipment.

The original request was for $450,000, but Mercer has since been able to secure an x-ray machine for the clinic, which brings the cost down to the requested $285,790 that Jekyll will cover.

The good news is back in January I had requested through (DCA) that if we sent money and then later the grant was approved, would we be eligible for reimbursement, and we have approval from them for reimbursement, Hooks said.

Approved the assignment and assumption of the Hampton Inn & Suites ground lease from Peachtree Hotel Group to Innisfree Hotels. The property will continue as Hampton Inn & Suites, a Hilton franchise, and Innisfree Hotels will operate and manage the hotel at 200 South Beachview Drive.

Approved the fifth amendment to the Convention Center Qualified Management Agreement with SMG, operating subsidiary of ASM Global, through June 30, 2024. The agreement includes an automatic five-year term renewal.

Approved the Dispatching Services renewal contract with the Joint Public Safety Communications Department. The agreement allows the Glynn Brunswick 911 Center to directly dispatch the Jekyll Island Fire Department (JIFD) units. Pending approval from the Brunswick Commission and the Glynn County Commission, the agreement will renew on July 1, 2023 for one year.

Approved the first amendment to the Management Services Agreement with SCS Resort Management, LLC, which is responsible for the daily management of Summer Waves water park. The amendment raises the base management fee to $7,834 per month and adds an automatic renewal period of one year following the expiration of the regular term.

Approved the first amendment to the lease agreement with Tortuga Jacks, LLC at 201 North Beachview Drive.

Approved the MOA with The Cottages for the construction of the Tallu Fish crossover with shared public access. The agreement includes an allocation of $16,100 from the FY23 capital budget to complete the project.

Approved several employment policy updates within the Jekyll Island Authority Policy Manual, including updates to the Pay Plan Policy, Performance Management Policy and Conduct Policy.

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